Freedom to Teach

Restoring the Ottomans: Bridging the gap in the History Curriculum

Restoring the Ottomans: Bridging the gap in the History Curriculum

Laura Aitken-Burt discusses how the Ottoman empire is often ignored in the history curriculum, to the detriment of a wider understanding of European and global history in the Early Modern period as well as modern Twentieth Century politics.

6 min

The power of retrieval practice

The power of retrieval practice

During my first five years of teaching retrieval practice has been one of the key strategies that has had the greatest impact on my practice and, as a result, the students’ learning. There are so many benefits of retrieval...

5 min

How I weaved my culture into my writing in ‘My Name is Miya’

How I weaved my culture into my writing in ‘My Name is Miya’

By Mio Debnam  I love stories, and I’ve been reading and writing them nearly all of my life, but although I’m Japanese, because...

4 min

Ideas for re-engaging students with science this term

Ideas for re-engaging students with science this term

It’s always a risk when committing thoughts to paper (or cloud) on education policy and practice; what might seem adventurous or at least perceptive at the time of writing can look predictable or even downright out of date by...

5 min

Retrieval practice and spaced practice

Retrieval practice and spaced practice

During my first post, I outline some of the many benefits of retrieval practice and why it should be used regularly in lessons to enhance students’ learning. In this post, I am going to discuss the...

6 min

Supporting Reluctant Readers

Supporting Reluctant Readers

Reluctant readers are a small but significant group of children who do not yet read for pleasure. They are children who can read, but instead avoid or choose not to read. While not exclusively boys, many are, and finding...

5 min

Developing metacognitive skills with retrieval practice

Developing metacognitive skills with retrieval practice

One of the most challenging aspects of teaching is equipping students to be able to learn effectively on their own, outside of the classroom. This is particularly difficult when it comes to equipping students with the tools for effective...

5 min

Top 10 ideas for teaching Frankenstein

Top 10 ideas for teaching Frankenstein

It is not often in literature that you find yourself unexpectantly on the side of the monster. Mary Shelley’s powerful and thought provoking novel challenges our assumptions of good and evil and encourages the audience to see all creations...

6 min

Creative approaches to teaching The War of the Worlds

Creative approaches to teaching The War of the Worlds

Over 120 years ago Wells’ science fiction novel The War of the Worlds (1898) presented Victorian readers with a frankly terrifying answer to the question of whether there is life on Mars. Now in 2020, with wonderful...

6 min

Celebrating Travelling communities in “Parade of the Pipers”

Celebrating Travelling communities in “Parade of the Pipers”

Growing up, I developed a fondness for the story of the pied piper. I was captivated by the narrative of an outsider who used their extraordinary talents to address a town’s dilemma. This tale resonated deeply with me, as...

2 min

Designing Shakespeare: teaching ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’

Designing Shakespeare: teaching ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’

One of the core difficulties when teaching Shakespeare is taking it off the printed page – turning it from a flat, some might say dead text into a living, breathing work of drama.  To do this, we need to...

5 min

Why it’s time to Reimagine Key Stage 3 English

Why it’s time to Reimagine Key Stage 3 English

Reimagine Key Stage 3 English is a project-based resource designed to underpin teaching at KS3 by equipping students with the core skills of comprehension, knowledge about the language and structure of texts and plentiful writing opportunities...

5 min